Everfrost
by Lacuna Everspring
Summary: A country ravaged by Winter eternal, cursed for a crime uncommited. The Queens only child, exiled beyond the Veil of her world, is the only means in which to lift the curse. The child knows not of where she came, how can she save a world she's never been?


_In the land of Sanctuary, a world of peace and order, was led by a beautiful Queen named Alezania. _

_Sanctuary was a large land, and no land rivaled the size of this prosperous land. The people were kind and generous, and most of all, were extremely loyal to the Royal family. Not even the lowest of serfs would hesitate giving his life in protecting his Queen if circumstances raised. Agriculture boomed and the lands never ceased in providing lush green crops year after year._

_But in Halatonia, a neighboring country, things were not nearly so peaceful. In a world ruled by magic, the people of Halatonia were resentful of their prosperous neighbors. Halatonia was a dark, mountainous land, desert like climate, there were several active volcanoes scattered across the expanse of the country. The country was ruled by a sickly, aged King, who had been long since believed to being manipulated by his wizard, but, nothing was ever proven for certain._

_Everything seemed idyllic… until a day that changed everything, for all the peaceful souls of Sanctuary… One day, a delegation of representatives from Halatonia arrived at the Crystalline Palace, Capitol of sanctuary and home to the Queen herself. _

_It was a day that brought tension with the delegation, and also a day that the country would never forget._

_The delegation was led by the King's Wizard himself. Today was either to be a day of surrender, or a day of war. Either way, Halatonia was determined to have Sanctuary's lands for themselves, and live in a land of light, rather then a land of darkness. It was a selfish demand, but then again, the people had never been too rational when it came to the many border disputes that Sanctuary had to deal with from their dark neighbors._

_Queen Alezania was shocked by the demand, and immediately ordered to have the 'diplomats' escorted as quickly as possible out of her lands, and if they resisted, then to have them killed._

_The wizard was furious, despite how ridiculous his demand sounded, grew angered at the Queen's response. He swore that as the new ruler of Halatonia, he would swear vengeance upon her lands, and place a curse upon her people. He declared that had she simply done as he had asked, then her people could have been spared, but since she had refused him, and insulted him, all her people would pay._

_"Because of what you have done, Queen, because of your cold words and actions towards my people. Instead of negotiation, you flat out refused any information as to why we were doing this. For your action, I cast a spell that your people may live in Ice forever more. No more green pastures will grace your lands, and from here on in, will be forever layered with snow and ice._

_"But for you, my Queen. I have a special present for you..." The Wizard paused._

_The Queen was mortified, even as the man spoke, she could see the sky darkening with storm clouds, and a heavy snow begin to fall, despite it being the middle of the summer season. Her heart filled with near dismay and despair._

_"You, my Queen, shall pay the harshest burden of all. Your firstborn heir shall be cursed to walk a life beyond the Sky's veil, as a mortal. the child will have none of the luxuries that as a member of the Royal family should be entitled to. _

_"Yet, the most ironic thing of all, this child shall be the only way for you to break the curse of your sins." He laughed, nearly maniacally. "She shall live in the Sky's Veil, and you will live eternally in Sanctuary. If she be in another realm, how can she help you free yourself and your people from your plight?"_

_The Queen could barely restrain her tears as the Wizard was dragged forcefully away. She ordered her guards and servants that were hovering near her to let her alone, and understanding her despair, left without protest._

_Like Halatonia, Sanctuary was also a land of magic. Yet, as the years had passed, only the members of the Royal family had been born with the gift, marking the fact of their birthright._

_The Queen's audience chambers were eerily silent, as Alezania rose from her throne and moved to stand before the northern wall of the chamber. Since the palace was constructed mostly of Crystal, the outer walls of the palace were translucent. She watched in heartfelt agony as the snow fell heavily, coating everything in sight with its pearlescent glaze._

_The Queen absently rested her hand against her abdomen, where her firstborn child was forming within her. What had happened to her people barely hurt as much as knowing that her first, and most likely only child would be separated from her forever as soon as it was born from her womb. The Wizard had said 'she' repeatedly, and the fact that she was to have a daughter didn't ease any of the pain that she felt._

_Alezania was never to see her daughter grow up, never be able to see her take her first steps, or grow her first tooth... Alezania nearly doubled over as she wept out her grief at losing a child that she hadn't even had yet. And yet if her daughter never learned of the grave situation of her people, how could she ever be expected to break the curse..?_

_"Seraphia... I'm so sorry, my daughter... I know that you'll never know me, or the beauty of our lands... I just hope... that one day you'll come back and save us. Save us from ourselves..." She whispered softly, partially to herself, but also to the unborn child within her._

_Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the vision of outside and wiped her cheeks of the tears. _

_"Guard!" She called, anxiously._

_A moment later, an armor-clad guard entered the chambers, and bowed his respects to her. "Yes, m'Queen?" He asked._

_"I need you to do something important for me, can you do that?" She asked, gazing down at him sadly._

_"Whatever it is that you wish my to do, I'll do my best to see it done." The guard replied._

_He looked no more then eighteen years old, and she wondered what his mother was feeling right now, knowing that her son was a soldier by trade, and could die any time... Her own grief of losing her unborn child gave her new insight, that she wished in a way that she never had._

_"What is your name, young man?" She queried, tilting her head slightly._

_"My name is Anveon, your Highness. First Commander Anveon." He replied, curiously._

_"Alright Commander Anveon, I need you to do three things for me. Two should be simple tasks for you, but the third is a very dangerous request, that you may refuse if you object." She paused, moving back to her throne and awkwardly lowering herself into it. She was nearly ready to have her child, most likely anytime within the next few weeks._

_"Yes, your Highness. What is it you wish of me?"_

_"You know who Salatacious is, correct?"_

_"Yes, he is the master Crystal carver for the palace." Anveon replied, readily._

_"I would like you to go to him, and ask him to craft a pendant for me, as soon as possible. A snowflake, as ornate as he can make it but not easily breakable. When he has finished the task, to bring it to me upon a silver chain. See that he makes it as soon as possible." Alezania instructed._

_He nodded his understanding. "I will see to the matter as soon as your leave is given." He paused. "What of the other two things may I be as bold to ask?"_

_She chuckled humorlessly. "Your mother is living in the outer village outside of the Palace walls, is she not?"_

_Anveon's brow furrowed, mildly confused. "Yes, your Highness."_

_"I want for you to take two weeks leave and spend it with her, upon the conclusion of the time, I want for you to return here for your final orders. I trust no other with this fate, that is why I am asking you, one of my most loyal guards."_

_The man gulped, uncertainly. "As you wish, my Queen. May I ask what it is that I am to do upon my return?"_

_The Queen turned her gaze away from the man and outside once more, looking distantly out at the falling snow._

_"You heard of the Wizard's threats against my unborn child..?" She asked, quietly, listening to the whistling of that high winds outside, sounding almost like screams..._

_"Yes, your Highness, we're all very upset by the news. We were all looking forward to have a heir born into the palace. To hear that we would be losing it so soon has been grievous." He paused, noticing the pained expression on the Queen's face. "But, not as much as it must be hurting you, my Queen." He finished, weakly._

_"It hurts me very much, to lose a child I haven't even had a chance to have... It nearly kills me. But, that is what I need you for, Anveon."_

_She straightened as much as she could, and returned her gaze once more upon the soldier._

_"Members of the Royal family have always been born with the gift, but because the father was a man who was without the gift, a skip, I have a feeling that my child will be the first to be born without the gift. If my daughter is to be sent beyond the Sky's Veil, I want someone that I can trust to watch over her, since I cannot. That is your orders. When the Princess is born, I will use my gift to send you along after her beyond the Veil. Your orders will be to protect her with your life and when she is old enough, teach her of this land and of her duty to it. "_

_The man had grown worried, and did a poor job of hiding his concern. She indicated that he could speak freely._

_"Forgive me, your Highness. But, no one other then the Royal family had the ability to pass beyond the Veil alive, or so I've heard. Only you would be able to make the passage safely. How can you expect someone like myself to be able to pass safely? Forgive me my fears, my Queen." _

_"I know that you must be afraid, but since it is I who is sending you across, you will be safe with my power protecting you. I will tell you that it will be dangerous indeed, but I would not threaten your life unless I had no other choice. I cannot go with my daughter because who would rule Sanctuary? I am the only living member of the Royal family left, other then my daughter. I must remain to protect my people."_

_The man was humbled. "Yes, my Queen. I apologize for doubting your wisdom."_

_She smiled faintly. "I'm glad that I chose the right person to protect over my daughter."_

_"I'll do my best not to disappoint you, your Highness." Anveon responded._

_"Now, I suspect you understand why I wish for you to visit your family before you go?" She asked, quietly._

_"Yes, I have a feeling that I might not get to see them again, if I am to be away protecting the heiress to the throne. I thank you for your act of kindness, your majesty." He kneeled at the base of her throne._

_"Now, please go and see to the carver about my business." She said, touching the man's shoulder reassuringly._

_The man rose to his feet and bowed deeply. "By your leave."_

_She nodded. The man turned and strode quickly out of the chamber hall. Feeling the strength in which her child was kicking, she knew that it wouldn't be much longer. Before today, feeling her child within her brought her immense happiness, but now, it only brought her grief and despair._

_~*~ ~*~ ~*~_

_Two days later, the Master carver Salatacious requested an audience and she received it from within her personal chambers. It was an unusual meeting, and the older man was extremely uneasy about being in the Queen's own personal chambers. But, with the Queen expecting her child's birth any day now, it had become increasingly more difficult for the Queen to move around with ease._

_The Carver found the Queen in her outer sitting room of her Quarters, resting upon the chaise, a half-chair half-cot combination which allowed her majesty to still sit up but also be off her feet as well. There was a servant just serving tea upon a table near to the left of the Queen, and a chair opposite of the table._

_The Queen looked as though she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep in the last several days since the Halatonian delegation had left its curse upon the lands. He wasn't really surprised, no one that he had knew was faring any better. But to know that the Queen was so unsettled by everything reassured him to know that the Queen, as always would deliver them to safety._

_"Your Highness." He greeted, bowing deeply._

_The Queen gestured for him to take the opposite chair as she quietly have her maidservant her leave. The young girl nodded her head and indicated that if the Queen needed anything, just to ring for her._

_Salatacious sat down in the comfortable chair, carefully resting the decorative rosewood and gold-leafed box upon his lap._

_"How be you, your Highness?" He questioned, brightly._

_The Queen raised an eyebrow in amusement, as she glanced at the box._

_"I've been better, but that's not why you're here, to ask me how I fare. Does that box indicate that you have completed my request?" She asked._

_He bobbed his head. "Aye, that it be, m'Queen." He replied, lifting the box and placing it upon the table between them, and opening it to face he queen._

_Laying upon black velvet, was a Snowflake, as she had requested. As usual she never ceased to be pleased and amazed by his workmanship. It was about the size of a gold coin, and extremely delicate in appearance. But, his work always more steadfast then it oft appeared, she knew that it was as resilient as she had asked. But, other then the beautiful workmanship, she was in awe of its physical beauty._

_"It's beautiful, Carver. I'm grateful that you were able to create it so quickly on such short notice." She said, leaning over slightly to pick up the crystal._

_It was a solid weight in her hand, but not as much as she had originally thought. It would suit perfectly for what she had in mind._

_"Thank you very much, Carver. I am quite grateful for your continuing work for your Queen." She said as she smiled at him._

_The man seemed surprised, but smiled happily at her praise. "I'm glad you like it, your Highness."_

_She nodded, gazing at the crystal. After a moment she gave the older man his leave and he shuffled out the door._

_It really was a magnificent piece of work, she thought as she closed her eyes and allowed a thread of her magic to seep through the crystal._

_Earlier that morning, despite the protests of her servants and healers. Alezania had made the trek outside of the palace out to the hillside where she could see the entire visage of the palace, surrounded by snow._

_Bringing that memory to fore, of her Crystalline Palace with the snowy landscape around it, she used her magic to imprint that vision of that scene into the crystal. _

_Breathing deeply a moment later after the completion of the simple spell, she opened her eyes and lifted the crystal to the light, and was pleased with the result of her spell. Casting a few extra spells around the pendant, she then returned the pendant to its resting place upon the black velvet in the box, and closed it, and fastening the simple catch._

_She had been feeling an increasing ache in her lower back, and she knew that it was going to be soon, too soon... She had to wait for Anveon to return. Alezania closed her eyes and leaned back on the chaise._

_It would be five more days until the young soldier would return. She only hoped that he would in time forgive her for wrenching him away from the only home he knew; and that Seraphia, her daughter, would forgive her for placing this weight upon her young shoulders._

_~*~ ~*~ ~*~_

_When Anveon returned, he found the palace in a state of chaos. He stopped one of the servants to ask what was going on, and she hurriedly reported that the Queen was in labor._

_He understood the importance of what the Queen had asked him to do, so he rushed up to the Queen's quarters, where he suspected that she'd be. There were six guards outside her chambers and upon seeing him, stepped aside to allow him entrance. Obviously he had been expected._

_A gaggle of servants and healers were in the outer sitting room of the Queen's quarters. They paused in their nervous chatter as they saw him enter._

_"Who be you, soldier?" One of the older healers demanded, frowning._

_Anveon bowed quickly. "I am First Commander Anveon reporting for the Queen, she requested that I see her personally upon my return to the palace." He replied, uneasily. _

_The woman who had spoken to him nodded to one of the younger women who nodded in response and went into the bedroom of the quarters and closed the door soundly behind her. In the brief moment that the door had been open, he had heard moans of distress._

_A couple of minutes later, the woman returned and looked at him. "The Queen will see you, but try not to upset her, she be already in a state--" The girls mouth snapped shut at a glare the older woman had given her._

_Anveon moved past the young woman as he entered hesitantly into the normally forbidden personal rooms of the Queen. No one save for the Queen herself and her personal servants ever came into this room, and he felt like an invader invading the privacy._

_The Queen was laying in her bed, propped up by many pillows, wearing a simple flaxen tunic, with her long blonde hair resting in damp curls around her face. If Anveon hadn't of known better, he wouldn't have even known this woman for a Queen outside of her gowns and primped hair._

_She looked exhausted, with a trace of terror in her green eyes as she breathed heavily. There was a midwife sitting upon a chair beside the bed, speaking to her softly. _

_Alezania looked up as she saw him enter her rooms, her expression a mixture of resignation and being pleased. Gazing for a moment at the midwife, she asked her to leave for a few moments so that she could talk privately with the Commander. The midwife seemed unhappy with the request, but didn't protest as she silently left the room._

_"First Commander... I'm glad you made it back safely." She breathed, reaching up to brush a lock of her hair out of her face._

_Anveon shifted his weight uneasily and averted his gaze. _

_"Yes, your Highness. I came directly to see you upon my return as you requested. But, I'm sorry I caught you in the middle of..." The gestured vaguely._

_She raised an eyebrow. "You've never been in the same room with a woman giving birth, Commander?" She queried, sounding mildly amused._

_He shook his head. "No, ma'am. It's not that, It's just that..." He looked uncomfortable._

_"Me being the Queen and all..?" She finished, sighing softly._

_He looked up and frowned. "Yes, I suppose, your Highness. Forgive me for being blunt. But, it just is a little unnerving to see our Queen in such a state... its kind of a private thing, or..." He shrugged helplessly. _

_"I'm a woman, just like every other woman. Just because I was born to this title, doesn't make me any less of what I am. I am no different. I feel like every other woman, just because I am a Queen, doesn't make me any less of a woman... In a way its irritating to be put up on a pedestal and to be made a goddess that suddenly is better then everyone else.."_

_Anveon's eyes widened in surprise and embarrassment. "I'm sorry, your highness, I didn't mean--"_

_"I know you didn't... forget about it... its just I'm in pain at the moment and I just lashed out... I'm sorry." She said, rubbing her eyes._

_Suddenly, she winced and bit her lip, her body tensing as she stifled a cry of pain._

_Anveon looked momentarily frantic before Alezania waved her hand to calm him, as she relaxed, her head flopping to rest upon the pillows as she panted heavily for a moment._

_"It's alright, just another contraction..." She reassured him._

_She looked up at him once more and then peered over onto the far night table on the opposite side of the bed. _

_"See that box on the table over there? Fetch it for me, please?" She asked._

_He nodded, happy to finally find a use for himself other then standing there uncertain of what to do. He strode over to the other table and picked up the ornate rosewood box and returned to the other side of the bed and knelt, holding out the box and standing at attention once more._

_Alezania turned the box to face him, and unfastened the catch and opened it, revealing the box's contents to him._

_"This was the pendant that I had the Master Carver begin working on the day you left. Take it." She instructed._

_He hesitated briefly before leaning in to lift the delicate looking crystal pendant. It wasn't as heavy as it appeared, and he had never held anything so beautiful and fragile-looking._

_"Hold it up to the light and look through it. Tell me what you see." She whispered, looking up almost tiredly._

_He did as he was told and lifted the pendant before his eyes and looked through the crystal as the light reflected through it._

_His eyes widened at the vision he perceived through the crystal._

_"It's the Palace, your Highness. How..?" He stopped, realizing the answer to his question, as he carefully lowered the pendant to its place within the box._

_"I know its only a matter of hours before my daughter is born, and you will be sent on your journey. This is a great honor you are doing and I will be eternally grateful to you for doing this. But, I have one more request for you."_

_He nodded. "Yes, your Highness?"_

_"Her name is to be Seraphia, named after the great guardian angels that look after us. In a way, she will be Sanctuary's guardian angel. I am entrusting this pendant to you, and you are to give it to Seraphia when you deem her ready to understand. I am trusting your judgment in this." She stopped again, facing another contraction, and it was several minutes before she continued._

_"Protect her with your life, and make sure that the pendant doesn't fall into the wrong hands. When she gazes upon the Palace within the crystal, she'll remember all that had happened to our land, the curse... she'll have to learn how to get back here on her own, I haven't that knowledge. If anything happens to her..." She trailed off, but what she meant didn't need to be spoken. If Seraphia died, then all hope for Sanctuary would be lost. Lost beneath the snow and ice._

_He nodded once again, letting her know that he understood. "Yes, your highness."_

_She sighed in resignation. "I'm sorry for tearing you away from your family, Anveon. I hope that you can forgive me for what I have done." She whispered._

_It was then that he understood what she had meant earlier. She 'was' a woman like any other, she had feelings that could be hurt, and wasn't immune to pain. He felt a strange bonding with her now, formed of understanding. _

_"You needn't ask for my forgiveness, my Queen, for I have nothing to forgive. You did what you must, and I am happy to do my duty to the heiress and to my country. I am honored that you chose me for the task." Anveon replied._

_She looked relieved, as she took his hand and squeezed gently. "Thank you, you have taken a burden off of my shoulders, kind man."_

_He blushed faintly and nodded again._

_"Now, please take the box and wait in my sitting rooms, and tell the midwife to come back in. When Seraphia is born and gone, I'll have to send you after her as soon as possible, to see that she isn't left unattended for long. Please? See that she gets a proper home, someone to take care of her since..." She trailed off, a solitary tear coursed down her flushed cheek._

_'... since she couldn't' He finished silently, he knew how she felt in a way._

_He took the box from her offering hands and bowed deeply and turned and exited the bedroom, and passed on the queens requests to the midwife. Most of the servant girls had left, leaving only him and two other woman in the sitting room._

_It was nearly seven hours later when the midwife exited the bedroom, with a sad expression on her face, and closing the door against the weeping sound emanating from the bedroom._

_The midwife glanced at him, with a knowing, sorrowful look in her face and nodded towards the door._

_He felt reluctant to see her now, while she was so visibly upset, but he closed the door behind him and carried the box to her bedside and rested it upon the table._

_He didn't even realize that he had leaned over and embraced the weeping woman, Queen, in his arms in comfort. but, Alezania offered no protests, in fact cried all the harder as she sobbed onto his shoulder._

_"I barely even got to hold her, this is so cruel!" She wept, sounding angry and saddened. "She was so beautiful, and I never even got so say goodbye..."_

_"I know this is small reassurance, but I'll be there to protect her soon, and be with her until I can bring her safely home again, your Highness." He stated quietly._

_She straightened, wiping her eyes. She looked embarrassed for having clung to him, and adverted her eyes from the visible damp spot upon the soldiers shoulder._

_"You're right. I hope that I have enough strength left to get you though the Veil... I'm so tired..." She trailed off, looking extremely exhausted._

_"I trust in you, my Queen." Was all he said, as he once again picked up the box, straightening._

_She nodded absently, as she closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath, and began uttering words in a language he didn't understand. Her voice raising in pitch and volume in varying times, her chanting went on for several minutes. As she spoke, coils of silvery and blue light started coursing around his form, enveloping him in an odd tingling warmth. he light brightened in intensity until he had to shield his eyes against its brightness. The threads of the spell wove closer together all around him as the light became nearly a solid force around him._

_Before the room faded from his vision all together, he saw the Queen open her eyes and gaze at him sadly._

_"Please, take care of my Seraphia." She asked, her voice soft and rueful._

_And then everything faded to black._

_~*~ ~*~ ~*~_

_It had been over a week since the Princess had been abducted to beyond the Veil, and the Queen hadn't been herself since._

_She turned down all the peoples audiences and kept herself sequestered to her quarters nearly the entire time._

_The people were worried about their Queen, they all loved her dearly, but many secretly feared that something bad was going to happen to their ruler, out of her grieving and her depression._

_They weren't totally wrong..._

_Three days had passed and it was the first time in a long time that the Queen had once again resumed a semblance of her normal duties._

_She had dressed in her best gown, a silver satin dress with a low square-cut neckline and with a cobalt blue underskirt and bodice. She wore a simple choker made of dark blue velvet and a cluster of diamonds and pearls at her throat, and her Royal crown, made of silver and crystal and sapphires._

_She went up to the highest levels of the palace, where there was only one room, nearly completely empty save for a long altar. No one save the Queen knew what was within this room, and as she entered the room, she ordered that no one enter this room for the next four hours as she prayed. Her orders were followed without protest._

_Alezania felt bad for deceiving her people like this, but she was so saddened by the loss of her child, that this was the only solution that she felt acceptable._

_She climbed up upon the altar and laid down, straightening her skirts around her legs. Resting her arms at her side, she rested her head upon the small pillow that she normally knelt upon when she came here to pray._

_Closing her eyes for the last time, she began weaving the magic around the altar and around herself, feeling a sudden sleepiness as the magic did its work. She felt the crystal enveloping her body, a protective layer in her soon to be vulnerable state._

_She was so tired, the magic working faster then she had thought. Her last thought that came to mind was of Seraphia... as she succumbed to the magic and entered a long sleep, not ever to awaken again until the day that her daughter returned home._


End file.
